We teach university students that they must use ‘impressive’ vocabulary. The result is a pretentious manner of prose.

Our compassion continues to ensure that child labour continues. We must be cruel to be kind.

When you use the words brave and captaincy together, the image of a smiling Afridi comes to mind.

I believe the original charges against our spot-fixing trio, but fresh accusations about the third ODI are, in the words of Shahid Afridi “Absolute rubbish”.

Unlike nervous Amir, Asif delivered a perfect inch-over-the-line no-ball. Got to hand it to him, the only thing missing was a toothpick in his mouth and a cowboy hat.

Why does the state permit people to kill themselves slowly by smoking cigarettes but not in one go? It would appear that we have ‘pocket’ ideologies, changing for every scenario.

What I am questioning is the state’s right to enforce this precaution with monetary penalties simply because it is (popularly presumed to be) ‘good for us’. Should my relationships with myself and the intensity of my self-preservative spirit ever translate into the government’s finances?